Latest news with #NewYorkIndianFilmFestival
Mint
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
This Hindi movie to have world premiere at New York Indian Film Festival; director reveals why he chose dark comedy
The feature film Kaisi Ye Paheli, written and directed by debutant Ananyabrata Chakravorty (ABC), is slated to have its world premiere at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), scheduled to run from June 20 to 22, 2025. He revealed they chose dark comedy and murder mystery because to 'connect with wider audience' as they make it 'palatable and accessible' and didn't want to take a 'serious tone while addressing a serious matter'. 'We are addressing a serious matter, and therefore didn't want to take a serious tone. It's only when we make something palatable and accessible that we are able to connect with a wider audience. Hence the exciting genres - so the audiences enjoy the story, before they take home the theme and begin a conversation around it,' Chakravorty shares in an exclusive conversation with The film has been selected for the Competition Section and nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Debut Film. Its premiere will take place at Village East by Angelika on June 21. When asked how the premiere selection feels, the director mentions, 'Maybe the word is validation, but it's more special because we didn't tailor the film for festivals. We could've made it to a good festival by following the usual themes and narratives that festivals expect from Indian filmmakers. But we didn't take that road. Instead, we went ahead with the story that we wanted to tell - our way. Getting recognised by such a reputed festival despite that is what makes it all the more special for us.' Produced by Nishu Dikshit and Take Pictures, Kaisi Ye Paheli explores a lonely mother's attempts to connect with her disrespectful policeman son by helping him solve a murder. It is set against the backdrop of a small hill town in Northeast India and was shot in Sikkim. Chakravorty says, 'We have tried to address loneliness and the conflict between old mothers and their grown-up sons - which we feel doesn't get talked about much in our society and pop culture.' The film features Nadiya Ke Paar fame actress Sadhana Singh, Kaala Paani actor Sukant Goel, and Rajit Kapur, who returns to the screen as a Bengali detective. Chittaranjan Giri takes on the role of a character from the Northeast. "Sadhana is a natural performer. She has such a beautiful motherly charm, and I knew the moment I met her that she is the perfect actor to play the mother in our film - because of the uncanny mix of dignity and simplicity with which she carries herself. I had to put in very little effort towards directing her - just a narration and a couple of sessions on the intentions of each scene, and that was it - she got the character," Chakravorty adds.
India.com
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Nawazuddin Siddiqui's ‘Main Actor Nahin Hoon' To Be Screened At Iconic Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute!
New Delhi: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, known for his powerful performances, recently hogged attention for his movie 'Main Actor Nahin Hoon' (I Am Not an Actor). After making waves at the New York Indian Film Festival, the film will now be screened at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute — a place that has shaped generations of performers. 'Main Actor Nahin Hoon' revolves around a retired banker-turned-aspiring actor—played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui—who connects virtually with a professional actor for acting lessons. The film will be screened exclusively for current students and alumni of the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute on June 24. Following the screening, there will be an intimate conversation with Siddiqui and writer-director Aditya Kripalani. 'We are so excited about this. It is a film about acting, so for it to go to a prestigious establishment like this is a huge honour,' says Kripalani. Siddiqui, trained in method acting, will also conduct a special masterclass on his process and the various interpretations of the craft. 'As artistes, we feel bankers have it easy... I want to debunk these labels,' adds Kripalani, challenging narrow perceptions of professions and identity. Nawazuddin Siddiqui's recent film Costao received critical acclaim, further cementing his reputation as a powerhouse performer. The actor has several exciting projects lined up and is currently shooting for them. He will next be seen in Maddock Films' horror-comedy Thama, alongside Rashmika Mandanna and Ayushmann Khurrana. Fans eagerly await more of his legendary performances on screen.
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Anurag Kashyap-backed ‘Little Thomas' earns three nods at New York Indian Film Festival
Little Thomas, a Goa-set comedy drama film headlined by Rasika Dugal and Gulshan Devaiah, has secured three nods at the upcoming 25th edition of the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF). The Kaushal Oza directorial has earned nominations for best actor, actress, and best debut feature. Rasika and Gulshan have earned nominations in the acting categories. Set in Goa in the 1990s, the film follows Thomas (Hridansh Parekh), the only child of his parents, who desperately wants a little brother. 'One day, he is told that to get a baby brother, his parents will have to kiss. Since his quarrelling parents won't kiss any longer, little Thomas takes it upon himself to make them do the yucky act!' the film's synopsis reads. Little Thomas is backed by producer Ranjan Singh and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap. Kashyap's own directorial Kennedy is also featured in the official lineup of NYIFF. 'I am grateful that the work is being noted and appreciated, and I am looking forward to the response of the audience when the film is screened at the festival. Audiences at film festivals are discerning, and it is always wonderful to receive their view of the work,' Rasika Dugal said in a statement. Gulshan Devaiah shared, 'I am excited and happy with the nomination that the NYIFF jury has considered me for as the Best Actor for Little Thomas. Looking forward to the festival and also yes, hoping to win the Best Actor award.'
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Pithoragarh woman, 80, who refused to attend Estonia acting award to look after buffalo, now nominated in New York festival
1 2 Pithoragarh : Eighty-year-old Hira Devi , who had initially declined an invitation to a major international film festival last year as there was no one to care for her buffalo, has now been nominated for best actor at the New York Indian Film Festival , to be held in the US from June 20 to 23. She attended the event in Estonia only after her daughter stepped in to help. Devi and her co-star Padam Singh, also 80, have both been shortlisted for their performances in Pyre, a feature film set in a 'ghost village' in Uttarakhand. Directed by Vinod Kapri, 'Pyre' chronicles the life of an elderly couple living in an abandoned hamlet in Pithoragarh district. The characters, played by Singh and Devi— neither of whom had acted before — are based closely on their real lives. Singh is a retired Indian Army soldier while Devi is a farmer. They share a home with their goats and a buffalo and earn a living through livestock. Their dialogue in the film is sparse. Most of the performance rests in gesture, silence, and routine. Last year, 'Pyre' was selected as one of only 18 films from around the world to compete at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, where it won the Audience Award. The story behind the film began in 2017, when Kapri encountered a similar couple in Munsyari while researching another project. Moved by their isolation, he started work on a fictional narrative that would reflect the reality of rural ageing in India's higher altitudes. Kapri wrote no formal script. Instead, he filmed around Singh and Devi's routines. The result is a film where fiction gives way to presence: a document of two people continuing their lives, rather than performing them. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 35 & Earning? Protect Your Family with ₹1 Cr Life Cover ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo The film was produced by Bhagirathi Films, a venture led by Kapri and journalist Sakshi Joshi. Rejected by multiple studios, the film eventually attracted collaborators including Oscar-winning composer Mychael Danna ('Life of Pi'), lyricist Gulzar, and German editor Patricia Rommel ('The Lives of Others', 'The Tourist'). It had its Indian premiere at the 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival, where it received a Jury Special Mention in the Asian Cinema Competition. "When Hira Devi was told about the New York nomination, she was in the forest collecting fodder," Kapri said. Singh, meanwhile, is undergoing chemotherapy for prostate cancer. Neither actor has yet confirmed if they will be able to travel to the United States for the festival.
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Shyam Benegal to be honoured at silver jubilee edition of New York Indian Film Festival
The legacy of legendary Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal will be honoured at the New York Indian Film Festival, which will celebrate its silver jubilee this year with a repertoire of diverse cinematic works featuring celebrated artists such as Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, James Ivory and Rasika Dugal. The festival, the longest-running and prestigious US festival dedicated to Indian independent cinema, will celebrate its milestone 25th edition here from June 20–22, spotlighting 'bold new voices, storied auteurs, and urgent narratives' from the Indian subcontinent and its global diaspora. "What began as a grassroots platform is now a global stage for Indian independent cinema,' Festival Director Aseem Chhabra said in a press statement Monday. "This year's lineup is one of our most powerful and wide-ranging to date. From deeply personal documentaries to regional narratives that rarely reach global audiences, the 25th edition of NYIFF reflects the evolving language of Indian cinema.' The festival will pay tribute to Benegal, a "titan of Indian parallel cinema', who passed away in December 2024 at the age of 90. NYIFF will screen a 4K restoration of Manthan, Benegal's landmark 1976 film about India's White Revolution, restored by the Film Heritage Foundation. The film premiered at the Cannes Classics in 2024. It will also honour the work of Oscar-winning film director James Ivory, with An Arrested Moment, a short documentary from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, directed by Dev Benegal. The film explores Ivory's 'enduring fascination with Indian art and culture.' The 2025 NYIFF lineup includes 22 feature-length films—18 narratives and four documentaries—spanning more than a dozen languages and regions. The festival program also includes 21 short narrative and documentary films. From Tamil and Odia to Assamese, Hindi, and Malayalam, the selection of the works to be showcased at the festival 'reflects both the diversity and the evolving language of Indian cinema,' it said. Chhabra said Siddiqui, who has won two NYIFF best actor trophies, will be attending this year's festival. Executive Director of the Indo-American Arts Council, which presents NYIFF, Suman Gollamudi said the festival has long been a space where India's cinematic legacy meets its most daring futures. 'At 25, we are not just celebrating the past—we are investing in what's next.' The 2025 festival opens with the East Coast premiere of the Manoj Bajpayee, Priyanka Bose and Deepak Dobriyal starrer The Fable, directed by Raam Reddy. With a debut at the 2024 Berlinale, the film "merges surrealism and psychological tension against the Himalayan backdrop'. The film, whose ensemble includes Tillotama Shome in a cameo, recently took home Best Film at the Leeds International Film Festival. The festival's center piece is the noir thriller Kennedy, starring Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone and directed by Anurag Kashyap. The closing night film, Little Thomas, is a coming-of-age dramedy set in 1990s Goa, marking the directorial debut of Kaushal Oza. The film stars Dugal of Mirzapur fame and Gulshan Devaiah of Hunterrr" and Ulajh fame, who will be in attendance along with the crew. ALSO READ:Shyam Benegal: The maestro of Indian parallel cinema Siddiqui's I'm Not An Actor, a film that 'blurs fiction and reality in a searing critique of fame and identity', Marathi documentary Marching in the Dark on widows of suicide-struck farmers; Renaissance Man about parliamentarian Vivek Tankha and Turtle Walker which follows a conservationist's mission to protect India's sea turtles are among the line-up of films that will be showcased at the festival. The festival's nonfiction programming includes A Fly on the Wall, a film by Shonali Bose and Nilesh Maniyar documenting physician-assisted suicide in Switzerland. The New York Indian Film Festival is presented annually by the Indo-American Arts Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Indian arts and culture in the United States. Since its inception in 2001, NYIFF has showcased the best in Indian cinema, celebrating the diversity and creativity of filmmakers from India and around the world.
